Our Kitty Menina’s second Super Power is her GPS system. She will come up to us and lay down just barely out of our reach so we have to stretch far or move closer to her to pet her. Such a silly kitty.

Let’s turn on our GPS when we want to reduce clutter. A GPS system guides us where we want to go. Some things we can do to reduce clutter by using our internal GPS:

•Pay attention to what we buy. While at the store consider if we have a place for it if we buy it, do we need it, will it just be clutter or will it light up our home?
•Just as a GPS guides us, evaluate what you want your home to look like and feel like and then organize each room to reflect what you want.
•Don’t let others persuade you to keep things you don’t want. These could be gifts you have been given but want to regift or donate; but someone tries to talk you into keeping the item. Or do you have a kitchen appliance you want to sell but someone is trying to convince you to keep it even though you never use it?
•Listen to your GPS—you are the best person to know what is best for you as you reduce clutter in your home.

Have you had an experience where you have wanted to get rid of something and someone has talked you into keeping it and you have regretted it?

What do you use your living room for? For some it is a family room, a den, or a rec room. It could be the space where you entertain, read, and watch TV or even plan your next vacation. You’ve probably decorated it with things you love.

However you use this room either as a place to relax or a hub of activity this week I will give you ideas to help you create an even more “livable” living room. Make it a goal to clear clutter in your living room during the month of February.

•Is your furniture comfortable but sturdy?
•Treat all fabrics with a stain resistant coating. This will help the fabrics stay bright and clean longer. Patterned fabrics will help camouflage spills. (Who says we spill?)
•Reduce clutter by using baskets for magazines, newspapers, children’s toys and catalogs.

What do you do to clear clutter in your living room?

Ta Da—-I am back from my quilt retreat. (My cousin called and said she thought I was going on a quiet retreat). Nope, no monks where we went—the purring of machines, the laughter of friends and the ahhs from the great food were the sounds we enjoyed.

As you can see it was pretty barren on the outside but on the inside there were lots of goodies. This table looks like a bunch of clutter, but it was a goodie table where we put things we didn’t want and were giving away. I came home with the bestest things. But I only took what I had room for and could use so I didn’t create clutter.

The table where we were sewing sure looks like it could use some clutter control. But you know it was organized clutter. And when our retreat was over and it was time to go home quicker than a wink it was all under control.

But always when I come back from a fun filled weekend I need to get rid of clutter from all the things I took. How nice it is to have a place for everything so I can just put them in their places!

How do you get rid of clutter when you get back from a weekend of fun?

Are all clips created equally? My review today is on clips that we use to close bags of chips and what-nots.

The Little green one:
-It is cute and colorful
-It has a magnet on the back to put on the fridge to clip notes on. (I don’t recommend this as it creates clutter and we are always looking for ways to clear clutter)
-They come it a set of four of different colors
-They are versatile in their uses
-They are well made
-They make me feel happy and I believe we need to surround ourselves with things that light us up.

The Large red one:
-It is large for larger bags
-They break easier because of the type of spring it has
-It can be cumbersome on the bag

The medium red one:
-Easier to handle than the larger one
-The spring can break easy

The blue clip:
-I like the feel of this one
-Spring is pretty sturdy so it doesn’t break easy
-Nice size

The clothes pin:
-Clips well
-Sticks out so it comes off pretty easy when put in a cupboard and it catches something else
-Not as attractive but can be decorated as this one has been
-Very inexpensive

Twist Ties:
-To me they are a pain and take time to twist on and twist off. Are too small for some bags to close well.

My favorite is the little green one because of the vibrant colors they come in, it’s size and it has a strong spring.

Do you have an opinion? What kind of bag clips do you like the best that help you clear clutter?

Today I am just going to be grateful. Are you ever grateful for clutter? I know we all want to clear clutter and as a professional organizer I think we are all happier when we do. But just think when we have clutter we are blessed with abundance.

I am grateful for:
•Liz from Hicksville NY (she said that is the real name of her city) who took her time to call me and tell me I had incorrectly said “in case of a fire turn on the stove” when I should have said turn OFF the stove. What a kind thing for her to do.
•I have good health and a sound mind that I can clear clutter in my home. (I just got rid of two more bags of fabric scraps).
•That I have the privilege to be a professional organizer so I can help people in their homes learn how to clear clutter and improve their lives.

What are you grateful for?

Can you believe in exactly one week (from yesterday) summer is over and autumn begins? I was talking to my daughter in Virginia and she is fake crying because she loves the heat and going to the beach and wants summer to last forever. Now I can’t wait for winter weather, the leaves to change colors, no more hay fever and sweater weather.

Now the reason I bring this up is because my popular kitchen guide which is jam packed with terrific ideas on how to get rid of clutter and organize your kitchen is going back to the original price of $9.99. I wanted my special blog readers (that would be you as you are reading this) to know this is happening on the first day of autumn as summer will be officially over. So if you haven’t ordered yours yet, you have 6 days left to do so at the reduced price. This guide with tips, tricks, information and photos will help you get rid of clutter forever in your kitchen.

When kids go back to school one of the things teachers have them do is write a paper on “what I did this summer”. I can’t remember what I did yesterday sometimes so a few years ago I started an activity journal of activities we do during the entire year. What great fun it has been to look back and relive the happy times.

Do you have a favorite season? What do you do to remember all the fun, out of the ordinary things you or your family does each year?

We had so much fun yesterday—we went to the State Fair. We love going into all the buildings where they sell stuff you can’t get in stores (even though we don’t buy anything). I take that back I did buy one of those little thingies that keep brown sugar soft, I love mine and I am going to use this one for my marshmallows.

The fair wouldn’t have been complete without watching the guy demonstrating the chamois. I figure I save a lot of money by not cleaning my house (there are a plethora of cleaning products at the fair) and not washing my car. I say that tongue in cheek, but I ask you how many cleaning products does one home need?

I did miss the guy selling the great car organizer that helps get rid of clutter (maybe I better say cuts down on clutter in the trunk of the car). I was going to buy one this year, I have a small container but I wanted a larger one. Oh well life goes on.

We had fun until we walked back to our car and tried to start it and it was as dead as a door nail. (Where did that expression come from)? After about 30 minutes and asking several people for jumper cables a nice man helped us. WHEW—he was a blessing. By the way it is wise to keep jumper cables in your car…not in your garage if you know what I mean. (I have repented and they are now in my car trunk).

Did you go to your state fair this year and what do you like best at the fair?

Show ‘N Tell Tuesday is on time this week. Let’s look in my drawers.

When I was getting rid of clutter in a bottom drawer of an armoire I found lots of goodies. One was the PEZ book I mentioned last week, and a book I had borrowed from my friend a year ago (sorry Edna); I would have sworn I gave it back. I found 4 framed photos of my grandson before he was one year old. (He is now 3 ½). And I came across a stack of OLD magazines.

So, this is what I did with all my treasures and other stuff: I put the PEZ book on the book shelf so I can actually use it. I took out the old photos, and replaced with new ones and placed them around my home. I recycled the magazines “that I would read someday”—not, they went back to 2007, who am I kidding? I didn’t even know they were there.

Then I marched downstairs and picked up the stack of magazines I had put in a pile 5 months ago and recycled those. I had told myself I would read a magazine a day until they were gone or I had ripped out the articles I wanted to read. That lasted…once. I have to tell you I don’t look lighter but I sure feel lighter having parted with all of the magazines and stuff in the drawers!

Hurrah for me—what have you done to clear clutter? We want to give you a big Hurrah!

I hope you are having a great Labor Day–doing just what you want to do.

We all know that reading, games, crossword puzzles, and other thinking exercises help our brains stay young. I personally don’t do crossword puzzles because they take away from the time I can be organizing and getting rid of clutter. And besides I am not good at it—does that mean I am lacking in brain cells? I think not. I love to read and play games. (Whew, I’m saved by a good book).

Again I diverge from what I wanted to say. This is shocking!! Because it is another thing I don’t really like doing. This comes from the Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA).

“Recent research now shows that searching the internet for information may surpass any of these other activities for preserving a healthy brain”.

Hum—do you have an opinion on that? I am not going to let it get to me, I am going to go and clear clutter off my desk and then curl up with a good book. I just finished reading Edgar Sawtell, fabulous writing but the ending….I will just say I am not going to recommend it.

I taught a class last night on how to organize a sewing/craft room for my quilt group. Boy oh boy that is a room that needs constant clutter control if your room is anything like mine.

It is sooo easy to just put things down instead of putting things away. I suggest we resist the temptation to do that though because it is such a time waster. It doesn’t take but a few seconds more to put it where it belongs while we have the object in our hands. It is nice not to have to come back later to put it away. What a time waster that is.

If you feel scattered and feel like you just can’t clear clutter in your craft room or other parts of your home it just isn’t so. For the next two days when you are finished using something, put it away immediately instead of just putting it down. See what a difference it will make.

Let us know your success story for clutter control. We all love a good story and we’ll be inspired.